1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a method of stretching continuously moving tubular fabric in a wet state and to apparatus for carrying out the method.
2. Description of the Related Art
In order to improve the dimensional stability of tubular textile material, it is known for the textile material to be stretched in the wet state and then to be dried. Until now, this stretching of the tubular material has been carried out with the aid of mechanical stretching means (width holders) in which the tubular material is gripped in its edge region and is stretched widthways by gradual moving apart of the two gripping zones.
The principal disadvantage of this method is that the tubular material is considerably more stretched in the immediate proximity of the gripped edge region by the greater traction exerted there than in the central region between the gripped zones. Thus, in this known method, the tubular material is stretched unevenly, so that optimum improvement of the dimensional stability is not achieved.
For another purpose, namely for laying textile material in rope or tubular form during wet treatment (such as dyeing, washing, rinsing), it is also known to blow air into the tubular material in order to open out the creases which have formed (U.S. Pat. No. 4,318,209). However, no expansion forces are exerted on the material beyond the simple opening out of the tube.